Century-old family bakery closes its doors

Carlton Bakery, a family-operated establishment, is permanently closing its doors, concluding a legacy that has spanned over a century. The Roberts family, after four generations in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, will cease trading and sell the business this Saturday. The establishment was founded in 1922 by Dewi Roberts’ great-grandparents. Its current proprietor is his father, Alun, 83, who is known by locals as cwstad (custard). Dewi, 40, who has been involved with the shop since childhood but has also pursued other work, informed BBC Cymru Fyw that his mother taught him to bake. He characterized the operation of a bakery as demanding, noting the requirement to wake at three in the morning and work six days a week. He further stated that a recent reduction in staff had amplified the workload. The establishment announced its closure on 9 November via social media last weekend, which elicited numerous messages of support. Dewi remarked, “People have been really nice – it’s been pretty overwhelming to be honest.” Karen Morgan, who was employed at the bakery for over 20 years, stated that her initial recollections of the shop were from visiting as a child. She recounted, “I remember coming here with my mum to buy trifle and she used to buy chocolate cakes here for me and my brother on our birthdays.” She characterized its closure as “terribly sad.” Brenda Jones, an employee of 15 years, further commented: “I don’t know where people are going to get their bread now – I don’t know where I’ll go either to be honest. “I’m especially going to miss the bread rolls from Carlton.””